So let's just acknowledge two things. First, Evelyn Waugh was not a pleasant person. Anything you read about him makes that clear. Second, this book is full of racism. There's no way to get around that.

Once you've acknowledged those two issues, this book is fabulous. Satire at its best! William Boot, a country squire who writes the column Lush Places about tiny furry creatures, is sent to cover a war in Africa in place of another Boot who writes much more progressive stuff. Hilarity ensures. I'm not saying that sarcastically like I usually am when I use that phrase. This is genuinely funny stuff about the cut-throat world of journalism and what happens when you HAVE to get a story, no matter what. It would be fascinating to see what Waugh would do with the 24 hour news cycle.

Once I accept the first two issues I mentioned, I was completely caught up in Boot's adventures in Ishmaelia. It's not hard to see why Scoop is often considered the best satirical novel of the 20th century.